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neuroscience

SRF notes the passing of Nobel-prize winning neuroscientist Rita Levi-Montalcini on 30 December 2012 in Rome, Italy. She was 103. Her work in discovering nerve growth factor (NGF) gave neuroscience its first example of a diffusible, growth-promoting molecule, opening a window onto basic principles of nervous system development.

A recent report in Nature links hyperactive synapses in the lateral habenula to learned helplessness in rats — a model for human depression. What’s more, applying deep brain stimulation, a protocol that alleviates depression in humans, to the lateral habenula also reduced learned helplessness in rats.

Winter blues, spring fever—most of us take seasonal changes in mood for granted. A study in Journal of Neuroscience suggests that the seasons may tinker with levels of dopamine, a chemical messenger in the brain involved in motivation, pleasure, movement and learning.

While building a brain early in development, young neurons use several methods of transportation to reach their final destination. A new study in Neuron narrows in on the molecular players, including reelin and Dab1, in this journey.